A Child's Worldview

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” –Matthew 6:2-4

The nature of the human heart is to hoard earthly riches - to store up treasure for ourselves. From our earliest years, we possess a very basic tendency toward an egocentric worldview, where phrases like “Me!”, “Mine!” and “I want…” govern the majority of our communication.

Growing Up

But at some point in our lives, we reach a point of maturity where we realize that it is better to give than to receive, and that if we are wise, we will seek to amass the most valuable kind of riches.

What are these eternal riches? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, and ultimately, eternal life. It is in giving that we find profound joy, because it is in giving, especially when it requires self-sacrifice, that we come closest to imitating Jesus Christ.

Jesus put it like this: “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Speaking of his ministry, the Apostle Paul says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

True Blessings

When field doctors administer medicines to a child with HIV/AIDS that we have donated, and that child’s health improves – can there be a more rewarding experience? When a child dying of starvation receives enough nourishment to walk again – what temporary thrill or material accomplishment can compete against that?

These are the treasures we cherish – the knowledge that our diligence and effort has resulted the dramatic improvement of children’s lives.

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